Apparatus for the electrolytic decomposition of water.



A. DOHM'EN. APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF WATER.

APPLICATION HLEELOCT. 20. I913- Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I A. DOHMEN. APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROLYHC DECOMPOSITION 0F WM'ER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1913.

ARTHUR DOHMEN, 0F oomoma, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC DECOMIOSITION OF WATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

Application flied October 20, 1918. Serial No. 796,258.

To all u'lmm it may wnem'n lio it known that l, .Xlrruun Douluuu, a rltiZou ol' the (iorman lhnpiro, and resident of (ologue-ontliolthiuo. Germany, have invontod oortain now and useful Imu-ovomonts in Apparatus for tho l ilt'tiltll i'tltj llooompositio'u of \\"ator; and 1 do hereby doolaro tho following to he a-full, olear. and

'oxaot dost-ription ol' the invention. suoh as will ouahlo othors' skilled in the art to whioh it ttlllli'l'ltllllh' to make and use the saiuo. roloronoo hoin; had t tho aoooinpaurring drawings. and to letters or figures ol' rol'oronoo maria-d thereon. uhioh form a part. oi this '|u'iliration.

'lho oleotrolytio produotion of oxygen and hydrogen h the dooomposition of water is oarriod out ohietly in apparatus that has tho form oi a liltor pres 'lho :uliantugo of this form of apparatus as oomparod with tho so-oallod boll-apparatus is that it oroupiosinurh los: |litt't.

'l'ho |il-torpross dooomposing batteries ha\o horotol'uro inoludod an assemblage oi east iron olootrodosand their east iron l l'auu's. l'llo ililuonsious' and weight of these oast ii-on oloetrodo's and frames wore limited h the uaturo ol' the material. and it llas been a problem to devise sonio oonstruotion that will ohoa'pon the rust of installation. int-roast the ollioioinr). and dooroaso tho orot tiuu or installation oos'ts. liy using wrought iron I have been able to aooomplish these ends; thus obtaining thinnor seotions. wh'ioh have a degree of lloxihility fur oxoooding that of cast iron. so that \\'houdra\\'iug th'o sootious togothor untlot' -hoa\' ,prossuro tho breakage-of tho sot-lions has boon almost outiroly eliminated. l'l reason ol' tho roduood quantity oiiron in the soolinus los onorg r is nnploduetively absorbed in heating thonrup to, tho proper eleetvrolyxiu" tom a-raturo.

abouttuP-tttl C. Auothor uuporlant foature is that the eorrugatod shoot metal olootrot-les oan be given greater aroa by reason of tho eortugations than ran be given east iron, and i also provide in the top side of oat-h frame a separating rhamhor for eaoh gas so that the gas will separate therein before passing to the gas ooniluits. into those oluunhers the rising bubbles of gas i'arry the foam or froth and Separate therefrom, the. separated liquid settling bar}; into the cell while the gases pass off through the con du'its substantiall" v. ireo from entrained electrolyte. This has wiireome a may serious objection, as heretofore no separating chamber has been provided at the cells and the consequence has been a dii'l'erence of level in the electrolyte on opposite sides of the porous diaphragms, due to back pressure, and a ditl'usion or passage of the hydrogen into the oxygen, so that impure oxygen was obtained. By my construction the liquid level on both Sitlt's oi the diaphragins remains the same, there being no baolt' pressure. so that I am enabled to obtain puro products.

Referring to the drawings, in which like arts are similarly dosiguated*l*igure 1 showsa frame bearing electrode embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the right hand gas conduit 5. Fig. I! is a horizontal seotion through the olootrotlo. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of a diaphragm. Fig. 5 is a verticabsection through a battery of assembled cells, and Fig. (i is a section .on line ti-(i of Fig. 5.

- The top side of a suitably shaped frame, for exan'iplo, a quadrilateral frame 1 is proridod with two gas ohapihors, one 3, on one side of the electrode 9. and the other 4, on the other side of the electrode. This electrode 2 is made of a separate pieoe 0; metal and is suitably sooured to the frame 1 by a wohling operation. or otherwise, as desired. 'lhus. the olootrnde. hoing detachable, may

'bw readily reuowod \tithout renewing the frame. 'lhoso ohamhors are located toward uppusito ouds of the top side of 1, "frame, and ooupnunieate with their reap are passages or conduits 5 and (i. 'lhe froth or foam produood by the risin bubhlosof gas ontors' those ohambers. and he gas separates therefrom. passing to the oonduits, \vhlle't he liquid settles hack into the body of tho'el e'etrolyto. so that comparatively little or no. froth is oarriod along the gas mains. The oonseeutire gas ehamhers of the same kind of the entire battery are connected by the. passages, 5 or ti, to the same gas main. Those passages also re later with correspmuliug pflfimili the iaplu'agni whieh is olampod between two adjaeent fianhes nd insulated therefrom. The diapliravsist ot a shoot of motal.'7. of the same size as the frames 1,having the interim cut away, as shown at 10, Fig; 4 To one side, of the sheet are secured a number of spaced, preferably vertical, strips 8 of suitable material. as metal, and to the other side of the sheet are secured. like spaced. str s 9, opposite the spaces between thostrips siaore clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Between. each electrode frame 1 and each diaphragm 7 is secured, in any suitable way, an insulating frame or gasket 11, which is of suliicient thickness to keep the frames and diaphragms in spaced relation with each other. This arrangement completely insulates the .diaphragms and electrodes. Such diaphragnis when made of metal can well be used and remain neutral when the current remains about three volts and has a density of about two ampei'es per square decimetcr or less. Consequently the electrolyte can circulate through the diaphragms without carrying the liberated gases along with it, and especially if the cells be kept full of electrolyte at the same level.

In lieu of the strips 8 and 9 I may use a fine wire mesh, or may insert such a mesh between the two series of strips 8 and 9 within the opening 10.

1 claim:

1. In a series of cells of the filter-press type, a cell member having a quadrilateral straight edged frame, separate passages below the upper edge of the frame and gas separatingchambers formed in the top of the frame each communicating with a passage.

2. In a series of cells of the filter press type, a cell member having a quadrilateral straight edged frame, two passages below the upper edge of the frame, a gas separating chamber formed at one end of said top in one side thereof and a second chamber formed at the other end of said top in the minside thereof, each chamber communicating with a passage.

3. in a series of cells of the filter press type, a cell member comprising a. wrought iron frame having gas passages below the upper edge thereof and a detachable elec trode.

4. In a series of cells of the filter press type, a cell member comprising a thin polygonal wrought iron frame, an electrode detachahly secured thereto, two gas passages therethrough one of which conducts gas from one sideof the electrode and the other conducts gas from the other side of the elec- 5, In a series of cells of the lilter press type,.a cell member comprising a quadrilatera frame containing a Single central opening and two passages through the top of said frame, a sheet metal electrode secured to the frame within said opening and two gas separating chambers in the top of said frame, one at one side of the electrode and connnnnicating with one of said passages, and the other at the other side of said electrode communicating with the other passage, said chambers extending from said passages laterally and downnard to the active faces of the electrode.

(5. in a series oi cells of the filter press type, a cell member comprising a lrame and a. bi-polar sheet metal electrode in said frame. in combination with a metallic diaphragm adjaccmt said electrode andharing passages through it over its entire surface and opposite the active faces of theeleclrode For the circulation of the electrolyte.

T. in a series of cells ot the lilter press type. a cell member comprising a tlcxible nu-tallh frame and a Iii-polar electrode in said Frame; in combination with a metallic diaphragm :uljarrnt said electrode having slots therethrongh distributed over its entire surface and opposite the urtirc face of said electrode.

8. In a series of cells ol the filter press type, a cell member comprising a flexible wrought iron frame having a central open ing and a thin, flexible, corrugated sheetmetal electrode secured within the opening, whereby both frame and electrode will nudtaneously bend nndc' assembling strains in the series of cells.

9. A diaphragm consisting of a sheet metal plate having an opening thereon, and spaced metal strips secured to the plate on opposite sides thercot' extending across the opening, the strips on one side being oppo site the spam-cs between the strips on the other side of the plate.

10. diaphragm consisting of a sheet metal plate having an opening therein, and spaced vertical metal strips secured to the plate on opposite sides thereof extend ng across the opening, the strips on one sldc of the plate being opposite the spaces between the strips on the other side.-

In testimony that l elainrthe foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my name in PHSNHU ol two subscribing witnesses.

, Ali'lllllll DUIIMIGN.

Witnesses:

Y. lDl-XIKl-Zlt, ()scau Din-Mia. 

